Chapter 7 - Standing Together
Instead of hiding or issuing a sanitized press release through his public relations team, Andrew scheduled an unscripted, live press conference at the Callahan Global headquarters building downtown.
Hundreds of reporters, camera crews, and aggressive journalists crammed into the main auditorium, the flashing lights of cameras creating a blinding storm of white light.
Andrew walked onto the stage calmly, but he was not alone. Holding his right hand was Amy, dressed in an elegant navy dress, her head held high. On his left side, Marcus gently escorted Chloe to a safe, private seat in the front row.
A barrage of loud, chaotic questions roared through the room: "Mr. Callahan, is it true you hid your child?!" "Are these accusations of financial misconduct accurate?!" "Will you be stepping down as CEO?!"
Andrew stepped up to the microphone, raising a single hand. The entire room fell into an abrupt, expectant silence.
"Seven years ago," Andrew began, his voice deep and echoing clearly through the speaker system, "the woman I loved was lied to, threatened, and forced out of this city by a corrupt faction within my own company. She was told that if she stayed, she would be ruined. She was forced to raise our daughter alone, in hardship, while I was kept entirely in the dark."
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The journalists gasped, the camera flashes intensifying.
"I did not hide my daughter," Andrew continued, looking directly into the primary broadcast camera. "I was robbed of her. But as of today, my family is reunited. And to those within Callahan Global who used fear, forgery, and blackmail to tear my life apart: your time is up."
